Improvement in crimping the uppers of boots and shoes



S. MOORE; Crimping the Uppers of Roots and Shoes. No. 215,534.

Patented May 20, 1879..

NPETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAFHER WASHINGTON, D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN MOORE, OF SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CRIMPING THE UPPERS OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No.2] 5,534, dated May 20,1879; application filed February 17, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN MOORE, of Sudbury, county of Middlesex andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Process ofCrimping the Uppers of Boots and Shoes, and improved mechanism for carrying out such process, all of which is fully and plainly set forth inthe following specifications and the drawings accompanying. the same.

In the manufacture of boots and shoes it is desirable that the vamp orfront portion of the upper should be so stretched in certain parts orshortened in others that it will conform to the last. If this operation(technically termed crimping) is not performed before the boot or shoeis lasted it requires much extra labor inlasting, and the shoe is notusually well fitted to the last.

Hitherto the mechanism and processes employed for crimping have beeneither so complicated or so slow of operation as to preclude' their useon the cheaper grades of shoes.

My process is rapidly performed, and the mechanism is so simple that itis adapted both to the cheaper and the better grades of shoes.

My process consists in compelling the blank to form the arc of a circlealong a line through its central part, while the other parts of theblank along lines parallel to said central line are compelled to formarcs of circles of radii gradually increasing as their distance fromsaid central line increases, the action of the mechanism on the blankpassing along said linesiin the direction of their length.

In" the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer tolike'parts, Figure 1 is a perspective and Fig. 2 a cross-section, of ade vice by which I carry out my said process.

In any suitable frame (represented in the drawings by the base A andupright B B) is hung a shaft, 0, carrying the grooved wheels or disks 0G. e is a V-shaped block, curved so as to conform substantially to thesurface of the groove between the disks G G. This block is pivoted at j,as, shown, and has a rigid arm, 70, projecting from near its pivotalpoint at such an angle that by the elevation of the end of such arm theblock is depressed into the groove between the disks 0 C.

To the end of arm 70 is connected one end of a rod, f, which isconnected at its other end with the bell-crank lever g, which is pivotedto the base A at h, and of which the armi forms a treadle, the uprightpart 9 of said bell-crank lever and the connecting-rod f being of suchlength and so disposed that when brought into a straight line by thedepression of the treadle i, the end of I arm k on block 0 is raised,and the block 0 depressed into the groove between disks C O with greatforce, the parts 9 and f forming what is known as a knuckle-joint.

The inner surface of the disks 0 C may be corrugated, as shown at d, toprevent the slipping of the material when pressed against such surface.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Power being applied to theshaft 0 through the gears and crank shown, so as to revolve it and thedisks 0 O in the direction indicated by the arrows, and the block 0being in the position-shown in Fig. 1, one end of the blank to becrimped is placed beneath the block 0, and, the treadle i beingdepressed, the blocke'is forced downward, pressing the blank into thegroove between the disks, which, by their revolution, carry it with thembeneath the block 0, which forces it to assume a curved formcorresponding to the shape of the groove. The pressure may be varied atpleasure by means of the treadle 'i, or entirely removed during thepassage of a portion of the blank, as is desirable in the case ofboot-fronts, which require to be crimped only a portion of their length.

It will be observed that the blank is rubbed and stretched in thedirection of its length, or in the direction of the circumference of thecircles of which when crimped it is a section. This I consider animportant improvement, as a blank so crimped will retain its form muchmore permanently than when done by any former process.

This process may be performed by other mechanism than that hereindescribed-as, for instance, the disks 0 C may be stationary, and theblock 6 revolve around them; or there may be two blocks movable inopposite direc tions partially around the disks, beginning to operate onthe blank near its center, and pass ing simultaneously over it towardits ends; but

all these involve substantially the same process.

What I claim is 1. The process of crimping the uppers of boots and shoesand similar articles, as herein set forth, the same consisting inforcing the blank between two surfaces under pressure to graduallyassume the arc of a circle along a line through its central part, theaction taking place on a slight portion at first, and gradually assinalon said line in the direction of its length, while at the same timethe other parts of the blank along lines parallel to said central lineand on either side of it are similarly operated upon, and they areforced to form arcs of circles of radii gradually increasing as theirdistances from said central line increases.

2. The combination of the revolving disks 0 O and the curved block 0, asshown and described.

3. In combination, the revolving disks 0 O, the curved block 6. arm k,rod f, and lever g, and suitable actuating-mechanism substantially asshown and described.

STEPHEN MOORE.

Witnesses:

HOMER ROGERS, J. E. Home.

